5 Ways To Get Your Weaning Baby To Love Vegetables

From cleverly disguising the green stuff to making a game of it, the best tricks to get your weaning baby eating vegetables...

In an ideal world, your baby + vegetables would be a match made in heaven. But, since it pretty much took us until our twenties to really enjoy spinach, it’s fair to assume your little one may need a bit of persuading. We’ve got it covered for you, from weaning tips to staying calm. Get ready to stop those peas/beans/carrots going all over the floor. Well, hopefully not every time anyway…

Mash up – the best way to serve veg

Your baby’s enjoying the mashed potato on his plate. Little does he know there’s also some carrot, butternut squash and swede in there, too. This is a great way to get some vegetables in under the radar.

Lead by example

If you want your baby to like veg, lead by example and shovel some down yourself. ‘If he sees something on your plate, it’ll make him more interested in trying it,’ says health visitor Nicola Joseph. Make a fuss of just how great that asparagus tip is and make a bowl of blueberries into a special treat just as if they were sweets.

Get sneaky: How to hide vegetables in food

Peas in tubes of penne pasta. Cheese over cauliflower. Peppers in a tomato sauce. You get the idea. You’ll soon become a master of disguise.

The train game

Whether it’s taking that courgette to him with a “choo choo” or flying that broccoli through the air with the full aeroplane sound effects, making a game with vegetables can be a good way to get your baby more excited about them.

Stay relaxed

If your baby isn’t taking to a certain food, try not to get worked up. ‘Stay relaxed,’ says Nicola. ‘He’ll get used to different foods over time and getting stressed won’t help.’ Remember, it takes up to 14 tries to get your baby used to a new taste.